5 comments about Lopsided: How Having Breast Cancer Can Be Really Distracting.

1. Not only was this book an enjoyable, smooth read, but it was hilarious. Norton has a way of bringing together seemingly disparate stories/experiences without ever sounding trite; in fact, many times her conclusions are powerful. Her vulnerability through a harrowing experience makes her easy to relate to and sympathetic, and she never asks for or tolerates pity.
   
   It's an engaging story, whether you're a survivor, a patient, a loved one of either, or someone who simply likes to read good books!!



2. What an amazing book from a first-time author! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. Meredith Norton gives us a view of her battle with breast cancer that is witty and humorous, yet candid and unflinching (this is probably not a book I'd give to someone who has just been diagnosed--although I'd highly suggest it for those who have been in treatment for a while and know what to expect, and I'd definately suggest it for everyone else!)
   
   The book is filled with entertaining details and digressions about Norton's childhood antics, as well as her life with her French husband, Thibault. I laughed out loud as she describes her experiences as an American with a limited French vocabulary struggling to raise a son in Paris. (Her conclusion: if you have the vocabulary of a French six year-old, you are treated like a six year-old.) She describes meeting with a French nursery school administrator, who tells her what she must do in order to assure that her son, Lucas, gets enrolled:
   
   "If you really, truly want little Loo-KAH to learn with our school," she said, "you must call me every day and remind me who you are. Say, 'This is the black American with the garish, orange jacket. My son is still interested.'"
   
   She ponders the fact that her diagnosis--the worst, most important news of her life--was given to her (and her reaction was witnessed by) two doctors who were complete strangers.
   
   "Bad news should be delivered privately. You should sit in a soundproof room with a mirror and a box of tissues. When you're ready, a piece of paper slips through the door. You turn it over and read: 'Sterile' or 'Nobody likes you' or 'Herpes Simplex II.' When you are ready, you emerge and fall into the embraces (maybe reluctant, depending on your diagnosis) of strangers."
   
   Norton's cancer battle isn't a shining superhuman Lance Armstrong tale of courageous strength. Her tale doesn't give cancer patients a figure on a pedestal that they can strive to live up to; she shows that despite the struggles and the odds, it is possible just to live. She is an everyday woman and mother (with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor) who is doing the best she can. She actually describes her frustration at reading one of Armstrong's books:
   
   "Every day of my chemo that I ate a Krispy Kreme doughnut or took a nap instead of doing yoga I cursed Lance Armstrong and his toned abs, tiny butt, and three kinds of cancer. [...] Give me some fat slob on welfare who never graduated from junior high and can't ride around the block without choking on his cigarette, and yet manages to pull himself together, go macrobiotic, and beat cancer, and I will show you one inspired Meredith Norton."
   
   Norton has said that it was her battle with cancer (and the constant insistence of family members) that pushed her into finally writing a book. It is unfortunate that such a horrific experience was the catalyst for this book, but fortunate that her talent has been revealed. Norton possesses an insanely hilarious wit and amazing way with words. I truly hope she writes more!



3. I had such a good time reading this book. Not something you would expect about a book from a cancer survivor. Perhaps it's because I share Meredith's atypical journey through life that involves multiple careers and dark sense of humor that I found it such a refreshing read, regardless of the subject matter.
   
   If you can't handle the fact that cancer is painful, the way it's treated in Western medicine is laughable (if not scary), or if you expect to have some golden halo rain down upon you giving you a new perspective on life so you can walk away from it thinking that, oh, a black woman with a sense of humor who has cancer can't possibly be feeling any kind of pain, then go find another book. It is a humor that is funny, I think, if you find David Sedaris holding up a cadaver when the car full of French people accidentally show up in his driveway, funny.
   
   Don't get this book if you're looking for some magical panacea that will make you forget that people who go through traditional chemo don't have all the pain and unnaturalness that is Western medicine shoved into their bodies. But if you understand that life and death can be painful and beautifully hilarious whether dodging dog poop in Paris, "Christian" school groups in college, or navigating cancer, well then, read on...Also, if you're some literary snob who has spent more years at university than talking to regular people on the street (i.e. having a normal, healthy social life), then go re-read one of the classics and don't try to superimpose critical theory or comparative analysis onto a memoir that is clearly not meant to speak to you.



4. My mom loved this book. She was recently diagnosed with the same cancer. It made her thankful that she did not have to go through as much as this woman had and that she is still alive and well. People need to know this type of breast cancer is out there too!



5. Meredith is incredibly insightful and witty. She provides a unique take on a very serious subject. I read the book in one day- it was so engrossing I couldn't put it down. After all the jobs she describes in her book, it seems as though Meredith has found her calling as a writer.

5 comments about Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back (P.S.).

1. The first part of this book was very interesting and some of the facts I found so hard to believe can happen in America. Living in California and raising teens here it makes me ashamed to live in such a liberal state, where parents really have No Rights. For that and some of the things about the drug world I really got an education. The book went downhill for me when Mia went into treatment for years it seemed. The book really seemed to drag on and on with Mother and daughter analyzing every detail of their lives. I felt more compassion for Claire's Mother, than I did for Clair. I tended to skip a lot toward the end of the story. It is an o.k. read just not riveting



2. In a world that obsesses over teen-age addiction and which paints the Britneys, Lindsays, Amys and Olsens as glamorous beauty queens with tragic yet excusable addictions, it is both heart breaking and heart warming to read about an honest-to-goodness real girl who overcomes both a difficult childhood and substance abuse and obtains love and stability on her own terms. Mia is relatable; her writing is accessable to youngsters who are tired of preachy "don't do what I did" stories. Instead, she inspires "problem teens" to go through their own transformative journey, no matter how many years or how many continents the journey may take. The reader is left knowing that Mia will obtain great things, because Mia will now allow herself to.



3. Wow! I am one of those people that always has a book in her hand and I have to say, this is the BEST book I've read in years. It is all together brutally HONEST, FUNNY and HEART-WARMING. The writing was PHENOMENAL. And the people in the book were all so REAL and LOVABLE. Just like the person in the last review, I absolutely could not put this book down. I was actually upset when I got to my subway stop and would have to stop reading for 5 minutes. Now that I have finished Comeback, all I can do is hope that Claire and Mia Fontaine PUT OUT ANOTHER BOOK - Please! and soon! I can't wait to hear more. I really miss Claire and Mia.



4. This is a strange memoir written by Claire and Mia Fontaine (not their real names) about bizarre WWASP schools (prison-like residential teen boot camps) and how they helped Mia conquer drug addiction. However, this book almost seems like a pro-WWASP book to counter all the negative press WWASP schools receive. A lot of this book was unbelievable, too. Weak writing. I'm not sure I believe that Clair Fontaine actually is a screenwriter, either. Could be the next literary hoax.....



5. This book was recommended to me by a friend because I have a past similar to Mia's and it did more to help me understand and overcome it than ten years of therapy (though my friend had a really normal childhood and loved the book as well). The writing is absolutely beautiful, very honest and powerful. Definitly a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

5 comments about Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, Third Edition.

1. It is a well written, inspirational text. I really liked the historical aspects as well as the religious excerpts. Great book for anyone experiencing an ongoing illness. It helps to put the disease in perspective. :)



2. Rev. Thomas Taylor's early 20th century translation of the memoir of St. Therese of Lisieux, unfortunately republished in 2006 by Echo Library, was made from the only manuscript then available outside her monastery, one substantially rewritten by Therese's sister Pauline, who made seven thousand changes. Scholars interested in the documents which gave rise to the cult of St. Therese may wish to consult early versions of Taylor. I urge those who want to read what Therese wrote to read the third edition of "Story of a Soul" translated by Fr. John Clarke, OCD, and published by ICS Publications in 1976. The Clarke translation, made from the unretouched manuscript written by Therese (an authentic manuscript published in French only in 1956), is recognized as the standard throughout the English-speaking world. No other translation compares to it. The book is enriched by an introduction, afterword, and easy-to-read notes that set Therese's manuscripts in the context of her life, and the index makes it even more useful. Whether you have not read "Story of a Soul" or have read only earlier English translations (Taylor, Knox, Beevers), the Clarke translation will open the world of Therese to you. Don't miss it. You'll find it at Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, Third Edition



3. Excellent book and in her own words unedited. Also a good little book on St. Therese is 'Heart of a Soul'. This book Iam reviewing is A MUST Read.



4. This book is a great place to start learning about Therese. Includes the full text of the autobiography, and some supplementary material incl. a introduction to the autobiography and life of Therese and some of her letters and prayers. You can get much of this stuff online, but the book is a delight, with many pictures.
   
   Therese is a very special person, and I recommend a familiarity with her beautiful soul.



5. St. Therese has a lot to say to this day and age. Her "Little Way" is so simple and based on love. I have personally found Story of a Soul very useful in my spiritual life. Even though she is a saint, she is very easy to relate to where ever you are in life's journey. It is a book that I certainly will be reading again as it has made such an impact on my life. Saint Therese may be called The Little Flower but after reading this you realise that she is a stirdy little flower made of steel! A lot of people can be put off her by how she is portrayed, as was I before I read about her life in her words. So get to know her!

5 comments about Becoming Jane Austen.

1. 
   If you are looking for every detail of Jane Austen's life and works, this is the book for you. For me, there was so much detail that it made for slow reading, but if I was an Austen fanatic (instead of an enthusiast), this would be the book for me.



2. A well-written, well-researched biography of our beloved, complex spinster. While the book doesn't annoyingly dwell on its far-fetched claim to be the "true love story that inspired the classic novels", it does often try to make some leaps of faith (most notably the weight it places on the character names of novels as evidence). Some of the interpretations of her novels are equally improbable. But this is an engaging, interesting biography woven with Jane's letters and her novels. It is the story not only of her life and her times, but also of the people who surrounded and influenced her. It is a story of how she saw the world, of her complex character, and how the woman in love with marriage chose her novels to be her children. Well worth the read. Grade: B+



3. I bought this book because I'm preparing to teach a Jane Austen class. Spence makes some interesting points and does a good job of backing them up. I don't think we can take everything as fact, but he does support his arguments very well. Unfortunately, there is so much left up to guesswork when it comes to Austen. When it comes to Austen biographies, this book is very easy and enjoyable to read. It reads more like a novel than a biography. The movie that is based on this book takes a few more liberties than the books does. Considering all of the books that I have used in preparing my class, this is one of my favorites.



4. I really enjoyed this one! I read it right after taking a course on Jane Austen's novels, and still learned even more. This book really helped to point out the parts of Jane's life that made it into her books. It is a great read for a Jane Austen fan.



5. 2003's "Becoming Jane Austen" is Jon Spence's highly readable biography of romance novelist Jane Austen. Spence is almost novelistic himself in his treatment of her life and literary work.
   
   Spence believes the characters and events in Austen's novels can be traced back more or less directly to persons and events in Austen's life and those of her extended family. This premise leads to an intriguing mixture of biography and literary criticism, mingled with an exploration of Austen's evolving views about her life and writing. In some cases, the connections seem obvious and plausible; in others, a bit of a leap. Spence finds, for example, that Austen's rather exotic relative Eliza de Feuillide is the basis for several characters stretching from the Juvenalia to "Mansfield Park" and that Austen's stories were in effect her way of weighing in on family controversies.
   
   Easily the most interesting theme of "Becoming Jane Austen" is Spence's claim that Austen's infatuation with Tom Lefroy at Steventon in January 1796 was deep, mutual, and lasting. He interprets Austen's surviving correspondence to indicate that she expected Lefroy to return for her once he was in a position to marry. She was obviously disappointed in this expectation; Spence sees indirect indications of Lefroy's continuing hold on her imagination in her novels. Spence's interpretation is neither impossible nor necessarily implausible; it is simply impossible to prove on the basis of the very limited biographic material available at this remove of time. Other biographers are far more skeptical of the extent of the relationship.
   
   "Becoming Jane Austen" was the basis for the very charming period romance "Becoming Jane," starring Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen and James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy. Spence is quick to note in his introduction that the movie screenplay exceeds even his admittedly generous interpretation of the record.
   
   "Becoming Jane Austen" is highly recommended as an energetic, enjoyable, and intriguing life of Jane Austen. One need not agree with Jon Spence's every interpretation to appreciate his enthusiastic presentation.

5 comments about The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood.

1. This book was an absolutely disappointing read and it took everything I had to keep going in hopes that something would improve. The characters were never developed nor was the writing very descriptive. The author could have written everything she wanted to say in one or two pages. This might be somewhat interesting to a reader who never raised farm animals that escaped periodically or never had neighborhood kids come by to visit them, but for those readers who have grown up in the country around animals, this book is review of the ordinary. The author is far too self-aggrandizing and proud of herself for her chosen lifestyle, which is actually not that unusual or extraordinary. What I found particularly frustrating about this read was the author's blindness to the fact that Chris, though he is a pig, is just a beloved pet like your dog or my donkey. He is not extraordinary, nor was his life. It reminded me of parents who gloat about their child as though s/he is actually better than everyone else's child. I personally am very contrite and apologetic when my donkey escapes; I do not think it is cute at all, nor do the police. I was really hoping for a book with some insight or humor, but found neither here.



2. this book was an easy read with lots of laughing throughout. I enjoyed the information peppered throughout as well from Sy's background information and experiences as well as the associations her premise for the book was. I disagree that the pig was 'nothing special' as some poor reviews stated because it wasn't really about the pig but rather about the pig as part of a larger phenomenon.



3. This book was given to me by a friend as a birthday present.
   She gave it to me because I have a pig as a pet and she knew that I could probably relate to it.
   
   She was right. The Good, Good Pig is a very touching story. It made me laugh and it made me cry.
   
   My only criticism would be that Sy Montgomery got a little lenghthy on some explanations but I would still recommend this story to anyone who is an animal lover or especially to anyone who has a pig.
   
   I love my pig. My pig is a pot bellied pig. She is such a character. She inspired me to write my own story. Unlike Sy Montgomerys story, my book is fiction. A children's picture book entitled "Bubbles the Little Pig."
   
   Since becoming a pet pig owner, pigs have become very near and dear to me. They will always have a special place in my heart.



4. The author being a self-described "naturalist," I thought this book would have some sort of insight into the nature of pigs. Nope. Mostly a lot of boring, self-indulgent tripe about how the author and her husband overfed this runt pig, whom they named Christopher Hogwood (how cute! -- NOT!), and Hogwood grew into something Montgomery calls "beautiful" but would more appropriately be called "grotesque." (She even admits letting him eat ice cream until he can barely move and becomes overweight). The author is what she calls "child free" (which one can fully support) but fails to see how her many animals are in fact substitute children. In one stunningly ignorant passage, she claims that the pig Hogwood is an "adult" and therefore her relationship to him is not one of adult to child. Hullo? It's a PIG for cryin' out loud. You can't converse with it, plan an event with it and (yes, just like a baby) you have to make sure all its poop is cleaned up and that it's taken care of.
   
   I lost count of the boring passages in the book about how Hogwood made the author closer to her neighbors and taught her how to "play with children" (gag). If you enjoy that type of sentimental fluff, this book is for you. Personally, I was very sad at the end. Not because Hogwood died, but at the waste of perfectly good meat! (they buried him...sob!)



5. I didn't expect to buy this book. I hadn't heard about it. I wasn't even familiar with the author. But after just a quick scan of the first chapter, I was fully engrossed in the story of Christopher Hogwood. I couldn't put it down. The author skillfully integrates personal details of her own life into the story which no good animal story would be without. It is listed as a "biography, non-fiction" book so if you are looking for specific information on pigs, this probably isn't the right reference book for you. This is the story not so much of a very lucky pig who was saved/adopted by a human couple but more the story of several lucky human beings who were inspired/enlightened/befriended by one very talented pig. Anyone who has been around pigs can test to their intelligence and Chris is no exception..yet his particular talent seems to be his ability to bring out the best in any human who meets him. An entertaining quick read..perfect for a longer plane ride or a rainy day on the couch!

5 comments about Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out.

1. Osborn does what is virtually impossible. She translates the fog of a damaged brain's function into vignettes that an undamaged brain can comprehend.
   
   In her case, this translation is from experiences which were by definition wordless, disorganized, incomprehensible, frightening and often completely mindless to their opposites. The level of Dr. Osborn's skill in doing this may be best understood by readers who have some experience (as I do) in being with brain-injured people.
   
   Whether one appreciates Osborn's achievement in communicating the uncommunicable is unimportant. What is valuable is that she succeeds so well in giving us insight into the "being" of at a subset of the injured.
   
   Most of the incidents recorded in the book are too long to quote in illustration of my point. Their length is a necessary consequence of Osborn's wish to reveal her floundering. Nothing in her life was straightforward. A relatively short excerpt follows:
   
   BEGIN EXCERPT (page 33)
   
   "I left soon after for the bookstore, but with the force of old habit and despite Marcia's written reminder dangling from the dash, I drove directly to the hospital. And then home again. Three times.
   
   "It was noon when I drove out of the hospital parking lot for the third time, I was determined it wouldn't happen again.
   
   "Now, as I turned onto the main road, Marcia's note clutched in my hand, I chanted, "Book store, go to the bookstore.'
   
   "I was still saying it thirty minutes later as I turned into our driveway.
   
   "When I got into the house, I reread Marcia's note. Lord, the bookstore.
   
   "Well, I would definitely get the book tomorrow. Right now, I could still do the second item on her list - water the lawn."
   
   END EXCERPT (page 34)
   
   Needless to say, Osborn forgot to water the lawn.
   
   The book is also notable in illustrating the lack of insight (in regard to her limitations) that Osborn (as others) experienced for quite some time. Then, once insight was gained, she writes about her struggle with a sorrowed sense of lost self.
   
   One incident that helped to her to understand the scope of her lost abilities (which apparently were exceptional) is recorded on pages 205-206. She was not able perform even so "simple" a cognitive exercise as making a telephone call to obtain a patient's medical information.
   
   The book provides a generalized understanding of how rehabilitation is accomplished. This includes learning stratagems for partially replacing lost structural functions.
   
   BEGIN EXCERPT (page 145)
   
   "Now my notes ordered me to [begin italics] really look in the mirror. Hair combed? Teeth cleaned? Collar straight? Earrings match? Expression alert, smiling? [end italics] It began to make a difference."
   
   END EXCERPT
   
   For the most part, the rehab portions of the book are most useful for providing a patient's view of rehabilitation. "Over My Head" certainly does not provide an overview of rehabilitation techniques. Osborn does, however, include a concise review of the generalized deficits that rehab and therapy have to address.
   
   By the end of the book, Osborn manages to return to teaching medicine, but in a format and in situations where she can proceed more or less by rote and under controlled circumstances. Osborn emphasizes that adult brain injury generally imposes permanent limitations upon post-trauma performance. You will not be who you were. Part of the rehabilitation process requires coming to emotional grips with whom you have become.
   
   I recommend "Over My Head" without reservation. It will be of most value to people new to dealing with brain trauma. It also has worth for those of us who lost figurative pieces of ourselves, but do not have brain trauma to blame. The "coping with loss and less" element of the book has universal appeal.
   
   Throughout, Osborn shines as a human being.



2. I have had Encephalitis twice, recieved rehabilitation in Occupational, Physical and Speech therapies, and currently work full-time, yet will forever be aware of my physical & mental limitations. In this book a doctor explains her acquired brain injury and the rehab process she and her famuly and friends dealt with, along with the positive strategies she has gained to deal with her life today. This book clearly clarified for me the diference between TBI and simple brain injury and brought to reality the fact that other people have dealt with similar rehab situations as myself & survived successfully! A must read I found hard to put down.



3. I suffered a ruptured aneurysm this summer '07, and read this book while recovering from brain surgery. It prepared me for the worst regarding other's responses to my temporary slower mental functioning. The book also helped me to be more sensitive to other people in general regardless of whether an infirmity is obvious or not. I.e., people were very compassionate toward me when my head was shaved and my scalp was full of staples, but now that my hair has grown back and the staples have been removed, that sensitivity has disappeared even though I am still recovering and will be for a long time.
   
   I was inspired by Dr. Osborn's strength and her determination to overcome her deficits. I admire her for writing this book to help others in her situation. Because of this book, I knew to ask my neurologist about cognitive therapy and am now enrolled and working with a occupational/speech therapist.
   
   I don't recommend reading this book early in the recovery process if you have had any kind of brain injury. I did, and it caused severe depression to overcome me. For lighter, more humorous material about brain injury survivors' ordeals, I recommend Susie Becker's book, "I had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?"



4. I first read this book at the recommendation of my neuropsychologist following a closed-head injury 8 years ago. I think it saved my sanity! Closed-head injury can bring about a panoply of just plain WEIRD symptoms that can make the patient (and their family, for that matter) feel as if they're losing their mind. The insanity is explained by a doctor who went through the same experience after an accident. She talks about it in a very non-technical way and helps the patient and those around the patient understand what's happening, why, and that NO, you're not nuts!



5. I was told to Read the book Over My Head By Claudia L. Osborne. I Like Her Was in a Bad accident in which I also had a closed head Brain Injury. I was in a coma for over 7 weeks in late August of 2006. I would agree with the writers synopsis that all you want to do is get back to your old Self, To be the same personyou were and do the same things but so many things changed in that split second that it is not only better to forget the Who you were and to Start basically a new Life. It is the only way to look positivly and to go on with life a new. A lot of the things in life will stay the same and yet there are so many things that I can no longer do. I could Bitch and Moan and get on hating My New Life or I could accept what has happened, Thank God Daily that for what ever reason I was spared: that He has a plan for Me and I must look at the positive and not the negative. I make it a goal now to work on putting a smile on My face every day by the time I close my eyes and go to sleep. That is of course after I have thanked the Dear Lord For The things that I can still enjoy among those things are the greatest Family and Friends a person could have. You have to look at life as a whole New life; separate and different in so many ways from who You used to be, but The same in social aspects where things ar still the same.

5 comments about Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World.

1. Gene has had a tendency in the past to be somewhat obnoxious in interviews and in his writing. However, this time out he has written a well thought out book that is very fun to read. It provides a high level overview of the "oldest profession in the world". It is interesting and thought-provoking. I think you would be hard pressed to disagree with Gene on this one!



2. This book is a very easy, fast read. Since it's clear that Gene and his co-author (Julie McCarron) had done their homework, I wish they had included their sources, because I'd love to be able to cite some of the information that was included. Since they chose to omit references, that leaves it an entertaining book, but unfortunately not one that can be used credibly in serious discussions on the topic.
   
   I understand that he wrote this to reach the widest audience possible, but I think it could have easily been written at higher than a third-grade reading level: as most people have graduated high school these days, if not attended at least some college.
   
   Overall, this is still a very beautifully-produced and enjoyable book.



3. This is a great book to have on your coffee table & spurs conversation, just like I thought it would when I bought it..! Gene is eloquent and has a great sense of humor, making the book enjoyable to read & the sections and chapters are divided, so you can just read a couple pages at a time as can friends who stop by and pick it up..!
   
   It is also a very classy looking book with a nice cover, hardbound with soft colors that match any shade of wood table..!
   
   Well worth the $25 I paid for it & highly recommend it..!
   
   Marcus



4. Gene Simmons proves yet again that he can tackle any subject and make it very entertaining. Even for people who are not fans of the greatest band in the world, this book is very informative and fun to read. This book will definately hold your interest until his next book (his adaptation of The Art of War)arrives. Thank you Gene!



5. I am surprised by others' reviews, given that I found Ladies of the Night more cover and less content and not unlike the approach that every school yearbook takes. Do grown-ups know so little about the subject? I had really hoped for more, given the hype.

5 comments about Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered (The Helen Rose Scheuer Jewish Women's Series).

1. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was written in a way that went through Ruth's life during the Holocaust years. It starts at the very beginning and just talks about her whole experience. I like how Ruth mixed in experiences and comments from the future. This showed how the Holocaust still impacts her life and what she thinks about her surroundings. No one will ever be able to understand what Ruth had to suffer while in the concentration camps. But I feel that by reading her life story it makes it seem more of a reality and brings to life aspects of how the Jews were treated during this time period in American history. All the hardship and discrimination that Ruth had to endure shows the power and willingness she had to live. I liked how she never said it was strength that le ther live rather it was mostly luck. I thought that reading this book made me feel greatful for everything that I have. I would recommend reading this book if you want to realize what life during the Holocaust was like.



2. The author doesn't simply recount fact and opinion, she has truly analyzed her childhood growing up in Vienna and then through the Holocaust and concentration camp. What a treasure we have in this book to document one girl's life, living through a horrific time in history. It is a bonus that the author is such an outstanding writer. Kluger allows the reader to relate to her life through their own life experiences. She is certainly someone I'd like to know better. Highly recommend.



3. Ruth Kluger gives a remarkably lucid and thoughtful account of her experiences as WWII Austria, and eventually the concentration and forced labor camps of Germany. Even though English is not her first language, Kluger writes remarkably succinct and cogent English prose, and she confronts the moral and emotional complexity of the holocaust in her memory. "Still Alive" is loosely structured, as Kluger prefers to record the events as she recalls them as opposed to adhering to strict chronology, but the result is very interesting, she superimposes her thoughts and secrets as the horrible events unfold. She paints a vivid and, at times unusual portrait of the Nazi holocaust, often ruminating on the pain and humiliation (she wonders if her father trampled children when sentenced to the gas chamber), but also the sheer enormity of the camps as an historical event, she recalls that when she received her tattoo she felt glee because she realized that she was a part of something that was much larger than herself, something "worth witnessing." A third of the memoir is post-holocaust, Kluger recounts her experiences in New York after the war as she and her mother struggle to regain control of their lives, and look for possible meaning and redemption in their past-suffering.



4. There are many excellent memoirs describing the Nazi death camps, but this one touched me in a way that no other book has.
   
   My fiancé died in the World Trade Center, and this is really the only book that resonates with the deep, bitter grief I felt in that disaster's aftermath. I don't mean to compare 9/11 to the Shoah at all, but Kluger articulates many of the contradictory feelings and beliefs I myself have struggled with, including my frustration at being shaped by something that everyone knows about, but almost no one understands. I felt a shock of recognition when she complained about people visiting Auschwitz as a sentimental gesture, because I feel that same (totally irrational) discomfort about people visiting "Ground Zero". Though I have lived my life as an intellectual, Kluger spoke to the savage in me that still rails and howls at my loss.
   
   This is oftentimes an angry, bitter book, but she mentions in passing that she has grandchildren, so I believe she found some measure of joy in her life after her internment. After my tragedy, I was forced to ask myself how someone who doesn't believe in life after death can go on in the face of the gruesome injustice of existence. I never really found an answer, but I kept on living, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. I heard a lot of my journey in Kluger's voice as well, and I am exceedingly grateful that she wrote this book.



5. I found this book extremely tedious, poorly edited, full of boring speculations and philosophical self centerdness. Am shocked at myself being able to say this about any survivor, but there you have it. I kept thinking, "OK, now when are you going to get on with the actual story", before realizing that it just droned on in this way. A much better book that I just read is 'A Jump for Life', a far more moving account and likeable woman.

5 comments about Prozac Nation (Movie Tie-In).

1. This is one woman's memoir of severe depression, dating from her teenage years though young adulthood in the days before prozac. Elizabeth Wurtzel was a young, talented, and deeply depressed student and writer in the 1980s. This is a memoir with little happiness and hope, much like depression itself. In order to cope with the pain Wurtzel drowns her sorrow in drugs, alcohol, and sex. She acts out in inappropriate ways. There's no nice ending, at least until the epilogue. Wurtzel's memoir shows how hard and despeate depression can be.
   
   Elizabeth Wurtzel is clearly a very smart woman and a talented writer. That said, the most difficult part of this book to stomach is not the gut-wrenching descriptions of major depression, but rather, Wurtzel's refusal to recognize the significant socio-economic advantages she has had. Most significant of these are her Harvard education and her plum writing internships. The issue is not that she "should have been happy because she had so much," rather, its the fact that Wurtzel paints herself as a disadvantaged young woman, which she simply does not appear to be. Presenting herself as something of a child of deprivation simply doesn't work, and the book would have been stronger had it not made such suggestions. Much more interesting is how the culture of high expectations shaped her depression.



2. This book is a memoir that holds true today. Anyone dealing with depression themselves or in their family must read this book. It helped me realize many things about myself that were critical to my healing. I loved it. It was real, raw, and interesting.



3. I've gone through my share of depression, as many others have before me. As bad as I thought I had it, after reading this book I realize just how lucky I was.
   
   Wurtzel's book was gripping, using very raw and blunt language, which I connected with easily. And such a quick, easy read. Made me want to continue nonstop until it was over. It was great in that it gave me a much better understanding about MY depression, about how bad it could have gotten, and about how lucky I am in that I was never committed, never on any drugs. It helped me understand other people and to have more sympathy for them, rather than bashing them over the head with my logic in that "it's all in your head...just try thinking a different way and you'll see a difference." I realize that is exactly what people who are like this want so badly, yet it's out of their reach somehow.
   
   Prozac Nation, I think, should be required reading (if it isn't already) for high school and college students in order to get a better understanding of depression in general, rather than doping them up and distracting them with activities. But that's just my opinion.



4. It is difficult to say whether this is a great book or a disaster. Some paragraphs are beautiful, while others lead the reader into a big confusing wad of meaningless words. It think Wurtzel tried too hard to be poetic and forgot to make sense in many scenes. Furthermore, the route of her symptoms, her childhood background, her fear of abandoment, the way she associates with people, etc. leads me personally to believe that she was suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder which would explain a LOT more of her behavior than depression ever could, and depression often coincides with BPD. Whatever the case, it is a good read, partly, but if you are reading it solely with the purpose to learn about depression this is most likely not the best work of art to find it in.



5. I found this book to be interesting, insightful, and blatantly honest. I originally bought it for my own sake, because I have bipolar disorder, but I found it was nice to know someone else could go through the same escalated highs and lows and turn out just fine. I've read other reviews that bash it and say that she repeats herself over and over again, and that her work has no point. THAT IS THE POINT. Wurtzel expresses that as soon as she thought she'd be alright at one point, she'd end up right back where she started, and worse. I understand this and at no point did I feel irritated with the book or her writing, because I could relate. If you think just reading her accounts of ten years worth of atypical depression was annoying and irritating and frustrating, try living through them. She was trying to connect on a deeper level with people who have been through it, and the people that surround the sufferers. If you don't have an open mind or have no experience with severe depression, I don't recommend you read this book. But I found it highly informative and interesting. A good read for anyone who has loved someone with depression, or someone that is suffering from it, that thinks that no one can understand what it is like to feel completely and utterly alone. She does an amazing job describing it, with the back and forth feelings and chaotic storyline. She hits in right on the mark.

5 comments about Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir.

1. I have read the reviews that are good, bad as well as the very heated discussions about this book and I have to say that it is good that this book generated such intense reactions in mind of the readers as it did for me. Regardless of the accuracy of the author's account as I don't have the first hand experiences, I assume that most of the author's accounts of the general political and cultural environment in Iran are fairly accurate. My reaction is again, the disbelief over the oppression and violence towards women in the name of religion and traditions, and the conspicuous lack of uproar in the international community in the name of political correctness or "cultural sensitivity". I don't mean to minimize the importance of other causes that received attention, such as Chinese government against Tibet, but when it comes to women, the world seems to be rather silent. Books such as this, and other memoirs such as Infidel, Bookseller in Kabul, Wild Swans,and memoirs by FLDS survivors are important means to raise awareness, therefore need to be written and to be read. Having said that, I gave only two stars because the writing is very poor and flat and some recollections of her childhood experiences seem too romanticized and blantantly inconsistent with her developemental stages, which raised questions in me about the believability of her account, and eventually became distracting to me.



2. As a person of the same age as of this woman, who has lived in Iran until 1994, I have to say I find this book a bad piece of fiction, written for the Western audience and ready-to-be-sold to Hollywood to make a crappy movie.
   The truth is, in those years our life as a nation was miserable. Evin prison was full of political prisoners, and there was no freedom of speech. But things were not the way Nemat describes it. Her memoir is ridiculously fabricated with lies about everything you can imagine about Iran. People of age 15 were executed in Iran in those years, but for reasons more politically important than leading a strike in high school! Is she crazy? If the Iranian regime wanted to arrest every high-school student for their argument with their math teacher they could not rule the country. And that story about being saved by her interrogator: nothing can be more far from reality than that. This is more like an emotional Hollywood movie than the reality I have lived in.
   
   I cannot believe people here actually believe this nonsense. This woman is either a charlatan, or a psycho.



3. This is a sad story of a little girl in which she is forced to set aside the crown of liberty and live like a beggar, but she fights to retain her dignity...
   Excellent Job, Great Audacity.



4. I'm sorry I cannot review this book as I have yet to receive it. Maybe you should improve your delivery serviuces to countries such as mine.!



5. Let me just get this out of the way, regardless of WHO YOU ARE, this is a really good book (which I actually read from front to back and will probably re-read) that any human being should like, plus the story has an amazing twist . The people who feel they have to go on the defensive and gave this book a bad review, I feel sorry for. I read to open my mind, not to close it; THAT DOES NOT MEAN I TAKE TO HEART the veracity of everything I read . Small minds come in many different flavors, so don't feel so special, get a hobby!